Ship protection against submarine explosions.



G. E. ELIA. A SHIP PROTECTION AGAINST SUBMARINE EXPLOSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, l9l6.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR Ga'auarzalT/zd.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS G. E. ELIA. SHIP PROTECTION AGAINST SUBMARINEEXPLOSIONS. APPLICATION FILED |Jc.7, 191s.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ATTORNEYS GIOVANNI EMANUELEELIA, OF TURIN, ITALY.

SHIP PROTECTION AGAINST SUBMARIN'E EXPLOSIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 191?.

Application filed December 7, 1916. Serial No. 135,676.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, a subject of the King ofItaly, and a resident of Turin, Italy, have invented a new and ImprovedShip Protection Against Submarine Explosions, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a hull construction especially designed forprotection against torpedoes and submarine mines, and the invention hasfor its general objects to provide a protective shell around the hull ofa ship from stem to stern and along both sides in order to preventdestruction of the hull proper by the explosion of a torpedo or mine,the Space between the shell and the hull-containing a vacuum so thatwhen the shell is punctured the high pressure and temperatures producedby the explosion can be accommodated by the vacuum space, so that theforce against the hull is considerably diminished.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide means in theprotective shellwhereby the space therein is divided into compartmentsand the compartments subdivided into small chambers that contain thevacuum, and which are so arranged that no water or air is left, thechambers being preferably square or other tubes which fit compactlytogether.

With such objects in view, and others whichwill appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth withparticu larityin the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention and wherein similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ship having the'improved protectivestructure, a

portion thereof being broken away to illustrate the details;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the ship; Fig. 3 is a section of theship on a reduced scale and on the water line level;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the vacuum-containingchambers of the protective structure; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the vacuum chambers or tubes.

In the present instance the invention is shown applied to an ordinarymerchant ship, but it is to be understood that it is intended for navalboats as well. The hull A of the ship is of usual construction and theprotective structure B is applied to the exterior of the hull withoutany material change in the design thereof. The protective struc-- turecomprises a shell 1 which extends along both sides of the hull from stemto stem, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and as shown in Fig. 2 it coversthe sides from the bottom of the hull to a line suitably above the waterlevel, whereby the sides of the hull will be protected againstexplosions from torpedoes and submarine mines. The space inclosed by theshell 1 is preferably divided into compartments by bulkheads 2, asindicated in Fig. 3, and preferably the compartments are separatedcompletely from each other. Within each compartment 3 are tubes 4: whichare hermetically sealed after the air has been removed, and these tubesare preferably square, except adjacent the shell and the hull, where thetubes may be triangular. By constructing the tubes of the cross-sectionshown, the entire space inclosed by the shell can be filled withoutleaving air or water spaces. The tubes are preferably of metal and theymay serve in a measure to withstand the external pressure on the shell.The thickness of the belt of vacuum cells of which the protectivestructure may be con sidered as composed, depends upon the weight of theexplosive charge likely to be encountered. When a submarine mine ortorpedo explodes, a great volume of gas at very high pressure andtemperature is generated. Consequently when the protective structure isstruck by such an explosive agency, the cells are disrupted and a largevacuum chamher is opened, into which the gas can expand, therebyreducing immensely the temperature and pressure against the main hull ofthe ship, making it less liable to damage.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operationwill be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains, and while I have described the principle ofoperation, together with the structure which I now consider to be thebest embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that thestructure shown is merely illustrative may be made when desired as fallwithin the and that such changes scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my atent:

1. A combination protection structure shell attached to the 10 pluralityof vacuum from each other and filling tween the hull alnd is crowded outof th of a ship hull with a therefor, comprisin a outside of the h acontainers independent the space beshell, whereby the air 0 interveningspace.

I protective structure.

invention, I I

of a ship hull, with a therefor comprising a shell attached to theoutside of the hull, and bulkheads dividing the shell into compart- 2.The combination 'ments, a plurality of independent vacuum containersfilling each compartment.

3. The combination of a ship hull, with a protective structure thereforcomprising a shell attached to the outside of the hull, bulkheadsdividing the shell into compartments,

and vacuum-containing tubes filling the space of each compartment.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

